Come Down from that Ledge
by Wildgirl404
Summary: "No one would care." She repeated out loud, looking down at the waters below. "Would you believe me if I said I would?" a voice sounded behind her, scaring her so badly she nearly fell off in fright. "No." she stated simply as she turned her head to meet the eyes of the speaker. It was a boy near her age, maybe a year younger. He was probably attending her school even.


**Come Down from that Ledge**

Asuna closed her eyes as the tears streamed down her face; she fought back the urge to just break down right then and there as she walked slowly down the street.

"_She thinks she's so special, she's just a dumb rich girl. I'm willing to bet the only reason she has good grades at all is because her daddy bribed the teachers"_

Asuna tripped over a stone, landing harshly on her knee, for a moment she just sat there on the ground and sobbed. Eventually though she dragged herself back to her feet, quickly she wiped at the tears blurring her vision and continued on her way. Her knee throbbed and bled but she ignored it, her mind was far more painful than her knee ever could be.

"_She seems nice; maybe I'll talk to her…"_

"_Don't waste your time on her; you'll ruin your reputation."_

"_Oh…she's that bad?"_

"_She's worse, a total loser."_

Those words stung her no matter how many times it played through her head, stuck on some sick mind torturing loop. Not even her own mind was on her side.

Nobody even gave her a chance.

Asuna paused as she glanced across the street at the empty playground, even back when she was a kid…Why did people hate her so much?

No, she knew the answer; it was the fact that her mom scared them away, that she herself acted so stiff and perfect because if she didn't she'd be scolded, it was jealousy at her families wealth, and it was that she simply just didn't belong.

But most importantly she couldn't hold a conversation very well because while others were out learning to socialize and make friends, she was reading and studying. While others were having fun, she was being scolded and taught how to behave and act. She was being raised like a robot.

Of course not being able to talk among her peers without embarrassing herself lead to her inevitably being branded a loser. Most people thought it was because she was rude and self-important. She was never given any chances to prove that wrong.

"_She won't even talk back if you talk to her, what does she think she's too good for us?"_

Nasty rumors spread about her if she so much as shifted in her seat. It was almost like they were making a point to sabotage her…how foolish of her; of course they were.

Maybe she'd be able to pull through fine, if her family was supportive and comforting on the matter but…

"_Mom can I talk to you?"_

"_No, I'm busy. Have you finished all your homework?"_

"_No, but I just got home-"_

"_No excuse, do your homework."_

"_Brother, I-"_

"_Can't you see I'm busy? Go away your distracting me."_

"_But-"_

"_I don't care Asuna, leave."_

"_Dad-"_

"_Sorry kiddo, I can't talk right now."_

"_But you always say that."_

"_Asuna I'm busy, go bother your mother."_

Her family could care less, as long as she looked good, behaved perfectly, and got perfect grades. She was just an example not a human, daughter, or sister. Her personal happiness didn't matter to them.

So of course when her grades started slipping, her mother finally paid her attention…but it was only to yell, scold, and glare. Her father would shake his head in disappointment and say "Thought you were smarter than that." Or "Do better."

Never a "Why are your grades slipping?" or "Is something the matter?" or even a simple "Are you ok?"

No one noticed, no one cared.

If anything it gave the kids at school more material for bulling…which only got worse and worse.

"_See, I told you she was dumb."_

"_What's the matter? Your daddy getting tired of paying for your classes?"_

Then they started becoming more daring, doing things like: writing horrible things on her desk, tripping her in the halls, cornering her after class to say the meanest most degrading of things, leaving horrible things in her foot locker, making her hand over her money to them, sticking things in her hair, dumping food or drinks on her head or clothes at lunch when they 'tripped'. The list continued to grow and grow and it was like it was a game to them; let's see what creative new way we can make Asuna's life hell today…

She was so very tired of it all. Her emotions were at their limit, she'd cry herself to sleep, she'd hide in between classes; even eat her lunch in the bathroom if she ate at all…as she soon discovered her appetite was disappearing. She'd walk all the way home because the bus was dangerous. In the mornings she'd wake up with dread at the start of a new horrible day. It ruled her life and how she lived.

And no one cared.

Asuna sobbed again leaning against the bridge railing to look down into the water thousands of feet below.

What if she just jumped?

It'd probably kill her…Physically anyway, she was already at her wits end everywhere else. It probably wouldn't be that bad.

She'd finally be free. No more bulling, no more sabotage, no more stealing, no more pressure, no more judgment, no more loneliness. Nothing.

She paused as she stared down at the waters, watching them toss and turn. Wiping at her tears and sniffling as her nose clogged up.

It sounds so promising, to just escape it all… Just one little jump…

She cried more as she climbed up the railing till she was sitting with her legs hanging over the drop. Her hands tightened around the railing till the knuckles were white, all she had to do was let go and she'd be free.

No one would care.

"No one would care." She repeated out loud.

"Would you believe me if I said I would?" a voice sounded behind her, scaring her so badly she nearly fell off in fright.

"No." she stated simply as she turned her head to meet the eyes of the speaker. It was a boy near her age, maybe a year younger. He was probably attending her school even. "Do you even know who I am?"

"You're a very pretty girl, sitting dangerously on a railing crying and talking to herself."

Asuna glared at him while she fought off the oncoming blush, she wanted to punch him but at the same time this is the first time in a very long time if ever, that anyone's complimented her. "I'm Yuuki Asuna." She stated simply waiting for the recognition, if he's attending her school he will know her no matter his grade or class. Then he will leave her to do what she wants, everyone does.

Ah, there's the recognition…

"Well, that might very well answer why you're sitting up here then…" Was all he said as he leaned up against the railing next to her.

An awkward silence seemed to fall between them as she tried to figure him out…she failed, he completely alluded her...why was he still here? His response didn't even make sense.

"Just what is that supposed to mean?" she finally asked offended.

"Nothing, just that you've had it hard, if anyone has the right to say school's hell, I do believe it's you."

"How comforting."

"Yeah…I'm horrible at comforting girls… So you want to come down from that railing now? It's dangerous. You're scaring me." He stated as he turned his head to observe her, his eyes a piercing gray that seem to look right through her.

"Why do you care?" Asuna answered hostilely, he was supposed to not care after he found out who she was. He was supposed to mock and hurt her. He wasn't and it was weirding her out.

"Because." He answered casually.

"Because what?"

"Because the school is so full of bullshit on whom you are. I'm talking to you now myself and I can say quite certainly that you, Asuna, are not self-important, stupid, or anything else those assholes could think up. I always thought what they were doing was horrible but I never could find you when I looked, I didn't even know what you looked like… That might have been part of the problem"

"I was hiding."

"You'd be kick ass in 'hide n go seek' then." He responded with a smirk

"Sorry?" now that confused her, what the heck was 'hide n go seek'? He confused her. He looked for her? "Why on earth were you looking for me?" she asked in disbelief. No one looked for her with good intentions in mind.

"I thought you probably needed a friend."

There was a long silence as they both just stared at each other, Asuna's eyes wide in shock. This boy was serious; she could see it written all over his face.

"You'll be bullied. Go away, I'm busy." She wanted to slap herself for pushing away the one person in the world who seemed to have a heart but that was the thing…he had a heart so she didn't want all those people to break it.

"Add selfless to the list that is Asuna, I'm not going away. You might jump."

"So what if I do?"

"I may not know much about you but I give a shit none the less, I want to get to know you. So why don't you come down from that ledge and we can go get coffee or lunch and talk?"

"No, I'm not coming down unless it's to jump off."

"Fine then." He answered.

She was shocked; she thought he would put up more of a fight after that last comment. She thought she might have to hurt his feelings to make him leave. But now he's- climbing up the railing and sitting next to her?!

"What are you doing?!" She all but screamed, he was crazy, there was no other explanation.

"If you jump, I jump with you." He answered one hundred percent serious.

"Are you crazy?!" Asuna screamed.

"No, are you?"

"Wha-"

"You know what sounds better than jumping to our sudden death?" he started, stating the fact that this could end in suicide casually.

She had no words left.

"Getting sandwiches." He answered.

Was he serious? She decided to ignore that. She had more important things to ask him…

"Why on earth would you jump with me?"

"Because I don't want to live in a world without you." He answered looking her in the eye.

"That is the corniest, stupidest, most illogical thing I have ever heard. You hardly know me."

"I know enough." He replied undeterred.

"Baka."

He laughed, before looking at her and smiling, "Yeah, so now that we've established I'm stupid, why don't we climb down and get sandwiches."

She shook her head in disbelief before staring at him for a long moment as if contemplating something, "…You know…" She started off hesitantly, "You were right." She staed back tracking to something said earlier.

"About what?" he asked looking confused.

"I really do need a friend." She practically whispered as fresh tears streamed down her face.

"Then let me be your friend." He spoke after a small moment of thought as he reached one hand over to wipe the tears away, the other keeping him from falling.

Another silence fell over the two, although this time it was more comforting as Asuna thought over those last words.

"Will you?" she finally spoke, breaking the silence.

"Most definitely."

"Ok…Let's go get those sandwiches then…" she answered slowly as she glanced one last time down at the waters. Huh…the sound of jumping suddenly sounds really stupid anyway.

"Oh good, I'm starving. That scared the calories out of me."

Asuna tried not to laugh, she really did.

He managed to climb down before looking up with a smile and holding out his hand to help her down, taking his hand she finally came down.

She thought he seemed relaxed before but she realized the minute her feet touched the ground that he was incredibly tense, as once she was on solid ground he truly did relax, letting out a huge sigh of relief.

"Thank you-…Ah! I never got your name!"

The boy just laughed loudly before answering with a wide smile, "My name is Kirigaya Kazuto, but you can call me Kirito if you like."

"Kirito-kun." Asuna said testing the name on her tongue, "I'm so very happy to meet you, thank you for saving my life."

"Thank you for letting me, and I'm just as happy to have finally found you. Where were you always hiding anyway?"

"The girl's bathroom." She answered with a laugh.

"Well then…that explains everything. From now on I'll be your personal body guard." Kirito declared with a determined nod.

"Good luck with that."

"Thanks I'll probably need it." He stated as he took her hand in his, "The sandwich shop is this way." Was all he said as if he didn't realize that in about one hour he had managed to single handedly turn her entire life around.

"Thank you so much."

She almost wanted to start crying again, but for a different reason. She just realized...

He became her freedom.

End.

**A/N: the ending is a bit Eh. And some of the moments don't flow as well but its 3 a.m. so my friends, deal with it. This is based off an OTP prompt I read:**

_**Imagine that person A of your OTP is suicidal. They are about to jump off a bridge or something when person B notices them and climbs over next to them. Person B convinces them not to take their life by saying that if person A jumped, they would jump after them, because they can't live in a world without person A.**_

_**(Bonus feel points if this is the first time your OTP meets)**_

**Yeah that one. Anyway I hope you guys like it, now to work towards updating my other story Nano-Cat since I'm overdue…I'm a bit stumped there. **

**So I hope you liked it, review if you have the time please. This is a one shot so, just clarifying. Favorite if you would, that would be awesome! Thanks for reading!**


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